| BIOGRAPHY
THOMAS C. MARSH was born in Harrison county, Kentucky, February 21, 1831. He
was reared on a farm and has all his life been identified with farming
interests. In 1844, at the age of thirteen, he emigrated with his parents to
Texas and settled in Dallas county near where he now lives. Previous to his
coming here he had attended school only a very little, and in the subscription
schools of this county he obtained a fair education. His father took a homestead
of 640 acres under the Peters colony, improved it, and lived on it the rest of
his life. After the fist year they had an abundance of everything. Game at all
times plentiful, and Thomas was the hunter of the family, keeping the larder
well supplied with deer, turkey, etc. He went on many a bear hunt, killed game
of all kinds, large and small, and so skillful was he as a hunter that he gained
a local notoriety. Those days the Indians were plentiful in these parts, and
they frequently committed depredations. They stole four horses from the Marsh
family. They frequently killed cattle and it was not uncommon t see the cows
come home at night with arrows sticking in them.
Thomas C. remained at home with his father until he was twenty five years of
age, and then, March 13, 1856, he was married. At the age of seventeen he was
entitled to a headright under the Peters colony, and had secured 320 acres of
land. After his marriage he settled on his farm and began making improvements,
giving his attention chiefly to the stock business. He built a cabin and broke
twelve acres of land, and by 1860 had succeeded in getting a good start of
stock, cattle and horses. In 1862 he enlisted in the Confederate service, and
was with the forces that operated in the Indian Nation and in Arkansas. He acted
the part of a brave soldier until the war was over, when he returned home to
find his farm a waste and his stock destroyed. His wife and three children
remained, however, and he began life anew. He opened up a larger farm and
entered more extensively into the stock business, and in his farming operations
and stock raising has met with eminent success. He now owns in the neighborhood
of 700 acres of as fine land as there is in the world. He has it all under
fence, 175 acres under cultivation and the rest devoted to pasture. His stock
are mostly horses and sheep. He also keeps graded cattle; has a fine jack, and
is giving attention to mule raising. Financially and otherwise, he has made a
success of life, and is ranked with the wealthy and influential farmers of this
section of the country.
His father's name was Harrison C. Marsh, and he, too, was a native of Harrison
county, Kentucky, born March 29, 1805. He was a farmer and stock-raiser, and
while in Kentucky owned and ran a mill. He died on the old homestead in this
county, May 5, 1889. Grandfather Thomas Marsh was born in Baltimore, Maryland,
and died in Kentucky about 1841. The mother of our subject and the wife of
Harrison C. Marsh, was before her marriage, Mrs. Mary Raymond. She was the
daughter of William Raymond of Kentucky; was born February 18, 1810; married
November 11, 1828, and after sixty years of happy married life died April 19,
1888. This worthy couple were the parents of eight children, viz.: William B.,
born September 2, 1829, and died September 6, 1838; Thomas C., the subject of
this article; Sarah E., March 9, 1833, became the wife of H. C. Daggett; John
D., born August 25, 1840, married J. J. McAllister; Elizabeth J., born October
9, 1843, married E. B. Daggett; Martha A., born February 27, 1848, married Mark
Ellison; Charlotte M., born March 30, 1851, married W. O'Neill. Harrison F., who
was born November 16, 1837, died November 20, 1839.
Thomas C. Marsh married Hannah Husted, daughter of Elkaner and Catherine
(Beardsley) Husted, who came from New York State to Texas in 1854. Her father
was a farmer in later years; in early life was with the Hudson Bay Fur Company
for some years. He settled in Texas with the expectation of making it his
future home. He also owned property in Missouri, and in 1861 went there to
dispose of it. The war broke out and he could not return. His death
occurred at Olathe, Kansas, May 11, 1865, at the age of sixty-seven years. To
Thomas C. Marsh and his wife three children have been born, namely: Mary E.,
born November 29, 1857, is now the wife of J. E. Buchanan, and resides in
Dallas county; Sarah C., born May 22, 1860, married A. W. Stalnaker, and lives
in the city of Dallas; and Thomas J, who was born June 29, 1862.
Mr. Marsh's political views are in harmony with Democratic principles, and with
that party he has ever affiliated.
Memorial and Biographical History of Dallas County, Texas, Chicago; The
Lewis Publishing Company, 1892; Pg 961
Submitted by Edward Lynn Williams |
Carrollton-Farmers
Branch TXGenWeb